Azerbaijan

G

Transport

There are about 2,100 km (1,304 mi) of railway track; about 700 km (434 mi) of which and 50 per cent of the rolling stock is in need of repair. There are about 59,141 km (36,749 mi) of road, of which 94 per cent is paved. In 1996 there were 278,300 cars and 79,680 commercial vehicles registered, giving a ratio of about 21 people to every vehicle. There is an international airport (Bina) at Baku; the national carrier is Azerbaijan Airlines.

H

Communications

The telephone system is not very well developed and there were about 130 lines per 1,000 people in 2005. Broadcast communications include Radio Baku, founded in 1926, broadcasting in Azerbaijani, Arabic, English, and Turkish; Azerbaijan National Television, founded in 1956; and BM-TI TV, the first privately owned TV station, founded in 1993. A new media law was introduced in 2002 that allows publications to be issued without being sanctioned by the state.

V

Government

The highest legislative body in Azerbaijan was the 360-seat Supreme Soviet, which voted in October 1991 to establish a smaller legislative body, which was then replaced by the 50-seat Milli Majlis (National Assembly) in May 1992 when the Azerbaijani Popular Front (APF) came to power and the Supreme Soviet was suspended. Elections for a new 125-seat Milli Majlis were held in November 1995.

A

Executive and Legislature

Under the new constitution of 1995, executive power is vested in the president, who is directly elected for a five-year term and is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Cabinet of ministers, headed by the prime minister, is the highest executive body and is appointed by the president. The supreme legislative body is the Milli Majlis; 25 members are elected by proportional representation, with the remaining 100 members elected in single-member seats. In 2002 new constitutional changes were brought in. Critics accused the government of rigging the referendum.

Despite international objections the breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh holds its own presidential elections. In 2002, the incumbent, Arkady Gukasyan, was re-elected. There is also a National Assembly of 33 members, each serving a five-year term. The last elections were held in June 2000.

B

Political Parties

The New Azerbaijan Party (NAP; Yeni Azärbaycan Partiyasý) is the majority party in the Milli Majlis; other political parties include the Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA; Azärbaycan Xalq Cäbhäsi Partiyasi); the Party of National Independence of Azerbaijan (PNIA; Azerbaycan Milli İstiqlal Partiyasý); the Civil Solidarity Party (VBP; Vätändasş Hämräyliyi Partiyasý); the Azerbaijan Communist Party (AKP; Azärbaycan Kommunist Partiyasý); and the centrist Equality Party (M; Müsavat Partiyasý). In early 2002, about 40 parties were active in Azerbaijan.